An international investigation coordinated by Europol has identified 51 potential human trafficking victims and uncovered suspected criminal networks operating through online platforms. The findings highlight how traffickers use digital services to recruit vulnerable individuals, advertise exploitative activities, and coordinate operations across national borders.
The investigation took place in Amsterdam between September 23 and 25, 2026, during the fifth EMPACT hackathon focused on combating human trafficking online. Forty investigators and specialists from 20 countries participated, with support from Europol and Eurojust.
Authorities identified six potential criminal networks and five suspected traffickers while examining 26 online platforms. Investigators also reviewed 77 social media accounts and checked 166 entities, including usernames, telephone numbers, locations and individuals. All 51 potential victims identified during the operation were female.
The investigation focused on websites, social networks, messaging applications and online advertisements associated with sexual exploitation, forced labor and other forms of trafficking. Criminals frequently disguise recruitment efforts as legitimate employment opportunities, using promises of attractive salaries or easy work to conceal exploitative conditions.
One investigation uncovered online advertisements offering women recruited from Russia the opportunity to travel abroad and earn $10,000 within two weeks. After comparing information from different sources, investigators identified possible connections to a cross-border trafficking network.
Another case involved recruitment profiles promising substantial earnings through seemingly straightforward employment. Investigators connected telephone numbers, social media accounts, and a modeling agency to a suspected trafficking network operating in European Union countries.
Authorities also discovered telephone numbers repeatedly appearing in advertisements on adult services websites. One number was associated with 109 profiles, while another appeared in 74 advertisements involving Asian women reportedly working in several European and non-European countries.
The investigation extended beyond suspected sexual exploitation. Specialists identified an online messaging group containing apparent offers to recruit organ donors, with preliminary findings suggesting possible connections to a medical facility outside the European Union. Authorities also examined a suspected exploitation case involving Vietnamese women acting as surrogates.
Europol emphasized that digital evidence can help investigators connect activities that initially appear unrelated. Shared telephone numbers, recruitment accounts and online advertisements may reveal links between suspects, potential victims and criminal organizations operating across different jurisdictions.